The Fullness of His Grace

Sunday, June 10, 2012, 8:08 a.m. – The Lord woke me this morning with the song “Abide with Me” playing in my mind. Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. I read John 1:1-18 (NIV 1984):

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.

Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.

There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.

He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God — children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

John testifies concerning him. He cries out, saying, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’” From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father’s side, has made him known.

My Understanding: As we read to the end of this passage we soon realize “the Word” John is speaking about is Jesus Christ. He was with God the Father in the beginning (eternity), and he was God (God the Son), the second person of our triune God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. He created all things. He was life and that life is the light of men. Since the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not understood it, we know this is not speaking of physical light and physical darkness, but this is speaking of spiritual light (Christ, truth, the gospel) vs. spiritual darkness (evil, Satan, sin). Man, who is born into sin, is in spiritual darkness until he comes into the light of Christ (the truth of the gospel) and he chooses to put his faith and trust in Christ and to reject his life of sin.

Jesus Christ left his throne in heaven, humbled himself, and took on the form of a servant and became human flesh and lived among mankind. He was fully God yet also fully man. He suffered all the same types of things as we suffer, and was tempted in all the same ways in which we are tempted, yet without sin. He did this so that he could become our perfect Lamb sacrifice for our sins for all time, and so he could become our faithful, compassionate and merciful high priest who sympathizes with us in our weaknesses, yet he does not placate sin. Jesus Christ was in the world, and even though he was the creator of all things, the world did not recognize him as such. Even his own people and some of his own family members did not believe him, and they did not accept him as their Lord and Messiah.

John’s Testimony

John the Baptist was given the awesome assignment of preparing the way for Jesus Christ. He came as a witness to testify concerning Jesus as the light of men, so that through Christ all men might believe. His main message was “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” Jesus preached the same exact message when he began his earthly ministry. Jesus Christ is the embodiment of the kingdom of heaven, so John was speaking, not just about an eternal kingdom of God, but about Jesus Christ. He was coming and he was near. John testified that Jesus was the one of whom he spoke previously when he said: “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.” Since Jesus Christ was born physically after John, John was saying that Jesus existed before John was born, which means John was declaring Jesus Christ to be eternal and to be God.

John said that from the fullness of Christ’s grace we have all received one blessing after another. The first and foremost blessing is our salvation. Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins, taking upon himself the sins of the entire world. Our sins died with him and were buried with him, but when he rose from the dead, he conquered hell, Satan, death and sin. Through faith in Jesus Christ we enter into God’s eternal kingdom, we are forgiven of our sins, and we are pardoned of the sentence of death (eternity in hell) that stood against us. Yet, coming to faith in Jesus Christ is so much more than just a “get out of jail free card.” Jesus came to set us free from the daily control of sin over our lives, too, and he set us free to love, worship, obey, honor, respect, follow, walk with, and fellowship with him, and have as our dearest friend and companion our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. So, his grace begins in our lives when we invite him into our lives, but that is just the beginning.

Unending Grace

Jesus Christ is there for us no matter what when we choose to make him our Lord and master, and we decide to walk daily in fellowship with him, choosing to leave our lives of sin behind us. He abides with us in our hearts in the person of the Holy Spirit. He brings us much comfort, joy, and peace. He is there for us when men fail us and life’s comforts fade away. He helps us in our times of weakness. When life comes at us hard and furious, he is there to bring strength and encouragement and hope. When life continually changes and people change, Jesus Christ remains the same forever. We can always count on him. He will always tell us the truth, even when men lie to us and try to deceive or trick us. His presence is always with us, and we can talk with him about anything that is on our hearts any time of day or night, even when man does not listen or does not care. He gives us all we need (our spiritual armor) with which to fight off Satan’s attacks against us. We don’t ever have to be afraid, because he is sovereign over all things, and he is absolutely in control of all that is happening in our lives, and he is all powerful and can handle anything that would come against us. Nothing is impossible with God!

The disciple John (in John’s gospel) said that all who receive Christ, who believe on his name, Jesus gives the right to become spiritual children of God. To receive someone means to accept him, and a person’s name is who he is, i.e. his character, so to receive Christ and to believe on his name means to accept all of what he stands for – his holiness - into our lives. So, we enter into God’s family through faith in Jesus Christ. Jesus said that he is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and that no one comes to the Father except through him. There is no other way. Even Jews who do not believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior are not God’s children. Only through faith in Jesus Christ can we enter into God’s eternal kingdom. And, we enter into that relationship with Christ through repentance (turning from sin), through transformation of our hearts and minds via the Holy Spirit, and through turning to Christ to walk in faithful obedience to him (see Ephesians 4:17-24).

Abide With Me / Henry F. Lyte / William H. Monk

Abide with me; fast falls the eventide;

The darkness deepens; Lord with me abide.

When other helpers fail and comforts flee,

Help of the helpless, O abide with me.

Swift to its close ebbs out life’s little day;

Earth’s joys grow dim; its glories pass away;

Change and decay in all around I see;

O Thou who changest not, abide with me.

I need Thy presence every passing hour.

What but Thy grace can foil the tempter’s power?

Who, like Thyself, my guide and stay can be?

Through cloud and sunshine, Lord, abide with me.

I fear no foe, with Thee at hand to bless;

Ills have no weight, and tears no bitterness.

Where is death’s sting? Where, grave, thy victory?

I triumph still, if Thou abide with me.